Corps Changing Missouri River Plan After Flooding

November 7, 2011, 12:08 PM

OMAHA, NE -
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will change its approach to managing the Missouri River following a summer of record flooding that damaged or destroyed nearly 400 homes, led to millions of dollars in road repairs and forced communities to scramble to build temporary levees.

The corps announced Monday that it will make the changes in the coming winter and spring. Those changes include getting as much water out of the river basin's reservoir system as possible this fall and winter, as well as analyzing how much more reservoir space might be reserved to ease the flooding.

The corps says the change came in response to concerns voiced by residents during eight public meetings held recently in Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana and North Dakota.